Burning at the Bottom of the Sea
by TheDeathNoteFreak
Summary: Takamoto Aki is hiding one big secret from everyone outside her family and friends: despite her boyish apearance, she's really a girl! How will this shy girl learn find friends, and how will she react to a certain black haired detective? L OC
1. Preface

Burning at the Bottom of the Sea  
Preface

TheDeathNoteFreak

**I do not own Death Note.**

I'd always for warned the people who came to me to stay away from my little deception and myself. I never told them what I _did _to deceive others- or how I did it, for that matter- but I did tell them not to get involved with someone like me. But people getting involved was still a problem. Girls always seem to get involved with men. And to others, I seemed to be a man, and so they always got involved.

But I wasn't a boy. I was a girl, and I still am. But according to any normal human's eyes, I was (or am) a teenage boy. A not-confident boy, but a boy nonetheless. And in a completely different region of my country- The Kanto region of Japan- where blue eyes were envied and were sought after, I became a _gorgeous_ boy.

This caused- as you can tell- many problems for me at my new home.

I tried to tell the man who took me in, but he wouldn't listen. He put me under alias as a boy, and I had to act as one. It was too late. Until I got home, I would play the part of Akira Tadashi instead of Aki Takamoto.

As time went on, I came to regret never coming fourth with the truth.

Especially did I regret it as I stared into the dark, wide eyes of the man who'd given me everything I needed- food, the large baggy clothing I desired, and a comfortable bed to rest in when night arrived. I could see the emotion laced in his eyes, but I could never read it. The emotions of a man who almost never used them are very shocking, and when you try to understand them it's almost similar to reading a book while a thunderstorm is booming right over your head. But where there is a problem there is always a solution. My guardian taught me that. The only problem is finding the key to the lock.

To find out how the book ends, all you have to do is duck under a tree and put in some ear plugs. This is is why a man's emotions that confusing can be better compared to hearing someone in a grocery store speak Chinese for the first time. Fast, irrational, choppy, boxy, and impossible to understand. Impossible without a dictionary, I mean. But how can I buy a dictionary for one man's emotions? Can he write me one? I think not. Maybe I'm thinking too far ahead. Maybe all I need to do is ask.


	2. Chapter 1

Burning at the Bottom of the Sea  
Chapter One

TheDeathNoteFreak

**I do not own Death Note.**

"Aki-chan, could you pass me that apple?" Brown pigtails bounced as a small girl of seven years bounced on her green stool.

I felt a slight smile brush my lips as my pale fingers reached over to the red fruit. "We're supposed to be doing the dishes," I scolded healf-heartedly. "But an apple a day keeps the doctor away, so you can go meet Masaya-kun at the park with this while I finish up."

I felt bad for letting her get soff so easy, but her sincere smile took my guilt away. "Thanks , Aki-chan!" She told me, never bothering to use her indoor voice. "You're the best!"

Juuri got off easily in the Takamoto familly, but she worked harder than any of us to make up for it. I couldn't help but remember all the awards she'd gotten, and how many hours she'd put in volunteering as she slipped into her pink coat and ran out the door to visit her "boyfriend" at the playground.

The two kids hand't done much, but on one or two rare occasions I'd caught my little sister get closer to Masaya on out couch than I'd ever get to any man.

This was because of the fact that to everyone outside my familly, I _was_ a man.

I look like my father. A _lot_ like him. So much like him that when people hear my feminine name 'Aki,' they have to struggle to contain their laughter because it's girly, and to put it right out there, I'm flat as a wall with the heighth of a girraffe with not-so-flattering clothes and the choppiest hair you'll ever see. And it only gets worse because they all add a "_kun_" instead of "_chan_" to my name if they even bother to remember me. Most of the time, I'm simply forgotten.

I'm just... too shy to tell them they're wrong. So instead, I lay low in school. I hang with the guys, but I'm always right in between the cool kids and the nerds, where no one looks. Everyone either gawks at the jocks or glares at the herd of nerds on the other end of the table. I'm invisible, with perfect grades but no out-of-school activities to allow people to distinguish me by. I don't have a bad style or good, just normal clothes three or four sizes too big. I'm unseeable. I like it that way.

Because this way, I can do whatever I want to and no one will ever notice me. If I fall into the fountain outside campus or smack into a "NO PARKING" sign the only thing people can do is snicker and ask the person next to them, "Who's the new kid?" or tell them, "There's a newbie on a rampage. Watch out!" instead of laughing at me and calling out, "_WHOA!_ Aki-kun took a **spill**! Real smooth, Jack Ass!" like they would to their enemies, or even friends. I can choose to pack a lunch instead of eat the school's crap and no one will call me a nerd. No one will ever miss me when I eat in the library during a mandatory indoor break at the University. I could show up out of uniform if they had any, and the only person I'd have to face would be a teacher during detention. The teacher wouldn't know my name either, I bet.

It does have downsides, I have to admit. Having to wear sports bras every day to disguise my lacking-but-still-there chest is annoying. I deal with it, though, because it avoids the "Who has the Biggest Boobs?" contests in school.

Freezing on the sidewalk as I walk home alone on winter days, though...

My eyes searched the glass window for any sign of Jurri as my hands mechanically stacked each white plate on each other. Beginning to wash another plate, I felt my eyebrows beging to furrow. It was on the earlier side of mid-fall; almost all the leaves had fallen over the grass of the front yard. Pushing a reminder to tell Kei to get off his lazy butt and rake the leaves to the back of my mind, I tried to imagine snow covering those leaves as I dried the plate in my hands and stacked it on top of the oen before it. Winter was coming...

Wash, dry, stack. Wash, dry, stack.

Winter... I knew what would happen already.

As I trudged home, mother would busy around the house- it was like Christmas was the only holliday worth celebrating with that woman, I swear. Juuri would already be home with a cup of hot chocolate in front of her, most likely with one of her many friends. Masaya would walk through the door, set down his backpack, and smile as he gave Juuri a hug. Moments later, mother would enter with a fresh batch of cookies in hand. They'd talk and laugh, and continue to do so as I stepped in silently and went upstairs to my room to do my homework...

"_Hey, Aki-chan_!"

Juuri's cute voice startled me, and I jumped around with a pan in my left hand to see Aki and Masaya, holding hands as they usually did. I felt myself take a rediculously long sigh of relief, before speaking. "Juuri, could you please not startle me like that?"

Masaya smiled at my little sister as she freaked. "Crap! Did I scare you? Do you want me to do something?"

I shook my head, laughing. "No. I'm going to bed, okay? Make sure you brush your teeth before you hit the sack, too." I ruffled the straight bangs adorning her cute forehead, and stuck my tongue out at her as I jogged up the stairs to sleep for the night.

* * *

"**Ugh**," I felt myself moan. "Juuri, it's **Saturday**. Leave me alone."

The little girl wouldn't go away, though. "Aki-chan, it's **Friday**," she told me, imitating my tired tone as she perched on the end of my bed. "Okaa-san* says you need to get up."

"Fine," I gave in. "Just let me take a shower. Did mom wash my black sweater?"

"The baggy one?" She asked. Duh, all my clothes are baggy.

I answered anyways. "Yeah. The one with the stitching at the neck."

She nodded, and I dragged myself out of bed. I really was not fond of mornings, and I knew I never would be as I stretched and made my way over to my closet and pulled out aforementioned black sweater. Waking up always made me act more rude, and slang-y, for lack of a better word. My normal speech would be gone, replaced by the average tone of a normal teenager. Another smile brushed my lips again, mirroring the one from last night. The sun glistening in from my window was warm enough, so I pushed the sweater back into the closet.

_'Maybe a T-shirt...?' _I wondered idly.

Shuddering, I gave up and pulled out a light blue baggy shirt instead.

'_Some things never change_.'

Grabbing an average pair of jeans and a white button up shirt to put under the long-sleeved blue one, I headed for the bathroom, and set the outfit on the counter. Glancing at myslef in the mirror, I shrugged. I would have to remind myself to quit doing that in the morning. It wasn't like I could really admire what was there. All that stared back at me was a pale face with messy, spiky hair and enormous glasses that covered two blue eyes. I took off the glasses, and set them down before testing the running water with my hand to see if it was warm. Turning it up a bit, I stepped into the steamy shower.

When I got out of the warm water a few minutes later and dressed, I heard a knock on the door. Expecting to see Juuri, I opened the door and continued to blow-dry my hair. "What is it?"

When an extremely tall boy of sixteen years entered the room, I almost screamed.

"Kei!" I shouted, trying not to scream again.

A wickedly amused grin apeared on my adopted-brother's face. "Mom told me to tell you that breakfast is almost done," he told me, trying not to laugh. He failed miserably.

I rolled my eyes, feeling the usual playfulness that came with being around Kei. "'Be right down, I'm almost done!" I called as I turned off the blow dryer. Grabbing a comb, I began to brush down the usual spikes that stuck out when they weren't tamed. I'd had long, wavy hair all the way through middle school, but all the girls hated it for some reason and so I got it cut off.

Returning to my room, I grabbed my school bag and the homework that came with it before slowly dragging myself down the stairs. "Mom?" I called, wiping off my glasses and putting them on. "Can I take a waffle to school or something?"

When I entered the kitchen, I saw Makoto smiling at me, her long ebony hair tossed over one shoulder. "Are you sure, Aki? You should sit down and eat with your family once in a while. You're smart, and have to work hard, I know, but-"

I had to cut her off. I needed to get to school. "Mother, I need to leave early to see what clubs in school I might be interested in."

Lying to my family members is one thing I really hate doing, but I do it anyways. They always believe me. Mother did right then, too. I saw the smile light up on her face, and I cringed. I really didn't have time for out-of-school activities or programs, and I didn't plan on making the necessary time. I knew I'd have to lie again. I'd tell her nothing was interesting, and that I'd rather focus on finding friends instead.

When my mother finally handed me a waffle wrapped in a napkin, I took off.

"Oi!" The bus driver called as I hopped on. "You come ev'ry day, don'cha?" He asked.

I pulled my hood up discreetly. "I do need to get to school on weekdays, so yes, I suppose I do."

When I sat down, I didn't bother to take out my school work and begin to check it. I've tried numerous times, and let me tell you, it's impossible. Looking out the window, I scratched the side of my head slightly and frowned as campus came into view. TAHS. It isn't the best place in the world. Instead of a normal school with the average feel of institution, it's more like a modern skyscraper that people who make magazines should work in.

I didn't belong here, and I knew it. Rich kids went here- the ones that were forced by their parents to get good grades. These kids were trouble-makers, only alowed into this college because all the generations before them went here. If these kids talked to me- which came only once or twice a year, when we had a project or something- they would always ask me the same question: "_Why do you bother to listen to those stupid teachers_?"

My reply would always be the same. I'd shrug, and say, "Why not?" or, "Why shouldn't I listen to them?"

They'd give me a wierd look, or snicker at me and have me do the entire project by myself. I came to like this. It's easier to get it done yourself, and do it right the first time than have to call your partner every five seconds and ask, "Do you have this part done? Did you do that? I can't belive you forgot that! What are we supposed to do tomorrow at school?"

This way, all my partners would have to do is read when I signaled in front of class, and stop reading when I started.

I smiled as I made my way off the bus. The weather was agreeing with me, so I assumed the rest of the day would.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

* * *

**Hey! So, this wasn't my longest chapter, but it's long enough, I guess. So, how can I make it better? Please let me know if you could.**

***Okaa-san means "Mother," despite most people's beliefs that "Obaa-san," means mother. Obaa-san is actually grandmother, and if a person is close to their grandmother, they can call them "Okaa-chama," which is a combination of -sama and -chan, meaning it gives both respect and love. -chama can also be used on "Okaa" which is obviously mother or "Oba," which means Aunt. or any middle-aged woman.**


	3. Chapter 2

Burning at the Bottom of the Sea  
Chapter Two

By TheDeathNoteFreak

**I do not own Death Note.**

"Alright, class. You've gotta listen up right here- this is important," he began, gesturing to the board.

'_I learned that formula in **fourth grade**,'_I thought tiredly, idly glancing around the classroom. I noticed a few people doing the same, but as the teacher began to ask questions to them, they cowered and ballparked. I fixed my attention on the board then, and he didn't bother to give me a question. That's what you do when you're given a surprise question- _you look at the board_. Then, no matter what, it all falls into place for you. God, if teachers wanted to surprise kids, they really should take those boards down.

"When you have two improper fractions, you have to turn them into mixed numbers-," I couldn't help it. I cut him off. I'm just lucky someone else did, too.

We spoke at the same time, mine an astonished tone, and his a drawling one. "You confused improper fractions and mixed numbers, sir!" He didn't add the 'sir', though.

"_**Hatsui Moriki**!" _Boton-sensei shouted, launching an eraser at the boy's brown-covered head. "I will _not_ be contradicted in my own classroom!"

"Ow..." Moriki mumbled, annoyance plain on his face. I had to work hard to put on my usual poker face.

Boton-sensei straightened up, and began to restart his sentence. "As you can see, class, when you have two mixed numbers to multiply, you have to turn them into improper fractions before multiplying the numerator and denemonators."

The bell rang, and I gathered my stuff and shoved it together as Boton-sensei shouted out homework assignments. I felt my usual smile crawl over my features as I left the room in search of my last classroom.

English, my favorite subject, passed by quickly and easily. The leson was average, in my odd teacher's own way. She'd read the first stanza of a poem I'd read before: The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe. I'd always been fascinated with the poem, although it wasn't my favorite poem by Edgar.

"Who wrote this poem, and what is it called, Mr. Motoko?" Junri (Our teacher hated being called her last name because people always added a 'Mrs.' onto it when she wasn't married,) asked, looking at Shibu.

"Edgar Allen Poe- it's The Raven," he replied automatically.

She nodded with a smile on her face, and turned to around so that she was facing the board. "And what is this stanza about, Miss Hanazono?"

Hikari replied easily. "A man who is reading his books when someone knocks on his door. He is either sick, over-tired, or most likely drunk."

"What makes you think he is most likely drunk, Miss Hanazono?"

Another fluid reply. "The poem states that he was about to take a nap, which is the natural response for the human body after it takes in alchohol, and he said he was 'weak,' and 'weary.'"

"Do you agree, Mr. Mokoto?"

"Yes," he told her.

Junri turned around, with one eyebrow raised. "And do you agree, Mr. Takishima?" I could see where she was going.

"I also agree with Hikari," he told her.

A slight amount of frustration evident in her expression, Junri turned to me. "What do _you_think, Miss Takamoto?"

I could see the apology behind her eyes. I'd asked Junri not to call on me due to my shyness a long time ago, and for the most part, she respected my request. However, when she couldn't get her students to figure something out for her, I was her secret weapon. Always seeing, always knowing. I loved English lectures; I couldn't help being the best.

Still, I was nervous, having to contradict so many people. Seeing the look in her bright green eyes, though, I did it anyways. "I think he's just over-tired," I admitted. My words were normal- no one would remember them.

Junri smiled, and nodded for me to continue. "And why do you think this?" She prodded.

"Because," I began,"If this man were either sick or tired, he would've either puked at the sound of someone knocking on his door, or he wouldn't have heard it at all."

"Personally," Junri started, "I agree with Miss Takamoto. Still, there really is no proof of the man's condition, so our reasoning against the rest of yours can only state our personal opinion."

Translation: I can't believe you confident idiots couldn't understand that when the recluse spit it out so easilly.

/\\\/

As I walked out of the school towards home, I looked on the school yard towards the field next to me where a few students were scrambling over each other for a soccer ball. On the other side of me, a few people discussed a book I'd read ages ago on a comfortable-looking blanket on the grass yard in front of the classes. I knew I wouldn't be joining the book club; by the time they'd finished the first chapter, I'd be done with the entire book.

Looking in the direction I was headed, I saw a large amount of people seated on one side of the enormous octogonal side of the lion fountain that represented EKU, for Eastern Kyushu* University. I never wanted to go to this college, but seeing the scholarship offer and the close location to home finally changed my mind on the supposedly snotty school. Looking back toward the soccer players to my left, I snorted at the idea of actually joining it as I adjusted my heavy backpack. I'd gotten solid C's in P.E. ever since I was nine, so that wasn't really my best option despite the way it looked exciting.

But, I wasn't _really_going to join any club. I didn't care if it got me awards or anything if I suceeded- I just didn't have the time. I adjusted my glasses, and ran one of my hands through my short hair as I composed careful half-truths for my mother should she ask any questions.

"_What club are you joining?_"

"_I can't do anything right now- they won't let students join in the middle of a semester_."

"_Well, this one's almost over! So what are you thinking about for the next semester?_"

Ugh. This one was harder. "_Uhm, I'm not good at math, so I can't be a mathlete and there's a book club, but I've already read the book's they're reading._" Well, I'd read one, but they probably wouldn't be done with it until they graduated. "_I can't do sports because...yeah, and the cheerleading squad is full... I think I have to wait until next year. But I can wait. After this semester, we only have one left, so I won't have to wait long_."

'_Yeah, right_,' I thought as I turned around from the soccer team. '_I'll be enjoying the time I have before next year-,_' I was cut off mid thought.

"_**Heads up**_!" I heard the words, but didn't have time to avoid anything. All I could see was a worried blonde haired face sitting on a bycicle heading straight for me.

I didn't remember much. A really annoying pain in the back of my head, and the feeling of some random girl behind me sitting on the side of the fountain sitting kitty corner from the side I was walking by pulling me by my shirt out of the way. I knew I was falling, even when I was trying to gain my balance, but I was practically flying through the air and into the water of the giant fountain so many who went to TAHS loved and respected. When I hit the water, I probably didn't even realize it. Later, I thought about all the scenes where heroines get pushed or shoved or hit by cars in books. Most of their sentences during those things start with, "_All I could think was-,_". But I couldn't say that. Because the only thing that I was really thinking was silence. I couldn't use my mental voice- that's what an adrenaline rush does to you. You can only feel what's going to happen to your body, and all your mind can do is video tape certain parts of what's happening so that you can frustrate yourself over what actually happened later.

All I that I could feel: nothing.

And then, somehow, it got cold. _Really _cold. My mind took in the water above my head, and the sun shining through it.

The fountain was deeper than I thought.

I had to pull myself out, and I knew it. I was making a big deal out of slipping into a fountain, something I'd really done one or two times before. I was klutzy; I had my father's feet, just like I had my father's everything else. Besides his genitals, that is.

When I stood up, in the TAHS fountain, I knew people were staring at me. I tried not to notice their whispers. I failed.

"_Who is that guy_?"

"_Where'd he come from_?"

"_If you only saw his eyes, you'd think he was a girl!_"

I had to admit, as I pulled off my backpack and set it on the ground by the side of the fountain, that I really did enjoy the idea of having eyes that looked like a girl's. Because, obviously, I was a girl. But when I heard someone smack him and tell him that they totally weren't as cute as a girls' eyes, I deadpanned. I knew it was too good to be true, and I cursed myself for even thinking it was true for a second. It wasn't like I was pretty, or anything. I was a _boy_, for christ's sake.

As I pulled myself over the side of the fountain, and stood only for a few seconds before putting my backpack on, I started to hear people talking again.

I ignored them; if I did that, then when I came back to school everyone would've forgotten me over the weekend and I'd be invisible again. It was what I did; I wouldn't have any trouble getting used to being ignored. I'd done it before, and I could do it again. I shook my head and ran my fingers through my hair again, to try and dry it. It didn't work so well, but it was better than nothing. I adjusted my backpack by the straps so my shirt wouldn't ride up, and turned to go the direction I'd come from. The people were talking louder. I opened my closed, water coated eyes, and felt myself jolt to a halt.

I saw my own eyes in the boy's who stood a few feet in front of me. He really was wierd, with dark circles under his eyes and the largest pupils I'd ever seen. They looked like they'd been dialated after he got glasses or something, but he wasn't wearing glasses and I could tell he didn't have contacts on. The irises, which barely stood out from the enormous pupils, seemed to be black but were, indeed, a dark charcoaled gray. I noticed, almost instantly, the clothing he was wearing because it was so similar to mine. A shirt (Mine was a different color from his, seeing as it was a long-sleeved, white shirt that I have to say was much thinner than my blue one.), a pair of baggy pants, and tennis shoes.

"Excuse me," he began. His voice seemed to naturally fall in a sort of depressed, monotone pitch.

I felt my blue eyes widen, and I realized that noramlly the sun would've reflected off of my glasses lenses and no one would've been able to see them. But there was one problem.

My glasses were gone.

Annoyance crossed the man's face. "Excuse me," he said again.

I seemed to wake up almost instantly, and then I heard the people from behind me talking. It took me several moments to regain the ability to talk. "Uh..." I stutered out. "Yeah?" My tone of voice, due to me being nervous, was much deeper than it's usual (dare I say it again) boyish tone.

A look crossed his face for the briefest second, but then his emotionless stare returned. "I believe you dropped these when you were pulled into the fountain..." He guestured to his hands, and then, for a small moment I took some time to figure out exactly what was going on.

I was standing, soaking wet in baggy clothes that were now draping unevenly from my shoulders, on the east side of the fountain, where the sun shone in my eyes. On the north side of the fountain I knew were the kids that were well-known-the ones who still held their playground mentality and called themselves the "popular" group. Amongst them, I knew sat the girl who really hadn't pulled me into the fountain, and for some reason, was blushing at this odd man in front of me with dialated eyes and a look similar to a panda, who held my glasses in his hands. I heard her friends whispering. About _me_.

"Who _is _that guy?" One of the girls demanded. "And why the fuck is he being so stupid? Even I could _talk _to Ryuuga, and that idiot over there is a _guy_! Is he gay or something?"

The kind girl who'd pulled me out of the way began to talk. "I don't know," she started dubiously. "I don't think I could talk to him- he's just too adorable!"

A guy, who seemed to be her boyfriend, began to talk, also. "Hey! That's that genius Takamoto guy Junri likes!"

My eyes widened.

I felt a breeze slither up my spine.

The hair on my neck stood straight up.

My palms were sweating.

I could feel the embarassed tightness of your cheeks when you start to blush.

Beads of what looked like sweat but were really just water cascaded down my temples.

I could see, then, 'Ryuuga's emotionless look. For a moment, then I saw a flash of what seemed to be amusement dance across his dialated pupils and then disapear. I shook it off. This guy, as monotone as he was, didn't understand what it was like to be invisible.**

All I could do now, since I couldn't ignore him, was act as normal as possible. I took a deep breath, straightened up, opened my mouth-

And felt fear come over my features. I couldn't do this. This guy- this 'Ryuuga', or whatever- he was popular. And not just at this school, where I suspected he was new. He probably had a job somewhere, a good one. One where he didn't need to go to college, but did it because it would look good on his enormous wall of accomplishments. When he died, he wouldn't care; he'd have already done everything he wanted to do, and seen everything he wanted to see. This 'Ryuuga?' Yeah...I could never compare to him.

So all I could do, was stutter out my words, and be the coward I was born to be.

"S-sorry..."

I wasn't really listening, but I heard a, "Don't apologize," as I took my glasses, and ran. I ran for a long time. Down the stairs to the subway, and across it all where I came out, having completely went under the road I always normally had to pause at to cross. I ran, all the way through downtown, and past the bus stop that only dropped people off and never picked them up. I ran all the way down the side of the highway, and took that extremely dangerous shortcut home my mother had forbid me to do.

Because I had to get home, to find the only support I had.

It wasn't my mother, nor my father who was sitting in the urn above my mantel.

It wasn't Juuri, or any of her friends.

It wasn't any friend of mine- I didn't have any.

It certainly wasn't Masaya.

There was only one person who could comfort me and the tears springing up in the corners of my eyes.

Kei Takamoto, my adopted brother.

I knew it was wrong to go to an adopted brother in your time of need, but my mother had never been there and never would be in a time of need. And that playfulness that I'd experienced with him when he was in my bathroom that morning? That was just usual. Kei was amazing; he was three years younger than me, but I felt like the middle school girl when he was around. He had friends, and he had more of a familly than I did even though legally, they were both the same. If someone clinically depressed took Kei to their doctor's apointment with them, by the end of the appointment the doctor would announce their patient cured.

But Kei's happy-go-lucky attitude wasn't just what made him my comfort.

It was his compassion.

Kei had always been there- he'd come to my _senior prom_ with me when I didn't have a date. And as a freshman, he was pretty damn cool. For one night, I felt like I'd had one friend. And I do... but according to the eyes of society, he isn't the _right _friend. Still, I didn't care. When I wanted to go on a crying jag, Kei would be there. And if Kei wasn't there I would go and find him.

Which is exactly what I was doing as I ran up the stairs with red-rimmed eyes, wet hair, and soaked baggy clothes.

He knew I was upset, and he didn't care that all his 'guy friends' were over when I barged into his room, my head low and obviously crying. He'd stepped out of his room casually, ignoring his stunned friends, and lead me to my room where I sat with my head on his chest and sobbed for a good half an hour, right on my pink-covered bed. Kei had always been good at comforting people, and I knew this from a personal experience. He seemed to understand my blubbered-out, ultra overly dramatic version of my after-school encounter with (I still couldn't believe it) an actual _boy_. That'd the way I said it too.

"_Hee'ph whas an aptcual 'oy!_" Is how I remember sounding. Kei was one of the few boys to understand muffled, cry talk though, so it turned out okay.

Even he looked stunned. "A boy? What did he look like?"

"_Manda_!"

Okay, so maybe that one was a little wierd. "Wait, a 'Manda?' Do you mean 'manga,' as in he looked animated?"

I had to lift my head slightly, so I rolled over onto my stomach on the bed with my head turned away from him as I said, "He looked like a panda. With really messy black hair, grey-ish charcoal eyes, pale skin, and baggy clothes."

"Like a gangster, with his underwear hanging out? Were his pants down to his knees?" He asked, obviously amused.

I couldn't help but giggle a bit. "No. His pants were actually more loose than baggy."

"Oh," he said, acting like he knew the big difference. "'Loose,' and 'baggy.' _Totally _not the same thing. If I got the thesaurus out, _loose_ totally wouldn't be under _baggy_."

I challenged him. "You might just be suprised."

We laughed, mine much more weak and shy than his effortlessly animated and kind one.

It was then that I realized what I'd done. "You should go back to your friends," I told him, "And tell them how rediculously stupid I am."

Kei rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you're real stupid, Aki." He got up, though, knowing I would just make him do it anyways. "Get some sleep. No offense, but your clothes kind of suck, y'know? You should change your look- maybe they wouldn't recognize you."

I knew it was just a plot to get me out of my private little box and enjoy college like he wanted me to, but for some reason, I believed it. I smiled, and turned over without caring how red my eyes were. They never got puffy when I cried, so I didn't care about how I looked. "Maybe- not. I don't own clothes that are actually normal."

He looked at me like I was dumb. "Do you not remember the pink bag you labled 'Clothes of DEATH,' underneath your bed?"

* * *

**Hey! It's chapter two... finally. The main article is 3,680 words exactly. I feel like a loser for counting them, but it was fun, so I don't really care. Plus, when you're on your period, you never do care about anything at all. I'm definetly a loser though, when, after all that time I spent on my counting, I looked up on my Doc Manager and it already said the amount of words for me. Brilliant, huh?**

***Kyushu- a region of Japan.**

****Really? The world's greatest detective who hides his face from everyone but his personal assistant doesn't know what it's like to be "invisible?" Lol...**


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